Canadian Charlie Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 What Mods Do You Do First when you got your Epi? I just got mine a month ago and so far I'm replacing the stock pick ups for DiMarzio super distortion ones. Where else can I benefit to replace on my Les Paul? My tech offered to replace them free of charge as long as he gets to keep the old ones, is this a good deal? I don't really need the old pick ups laying around like I have my Fender strat ones doing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Sentry Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 What Mods Do You Do First when you got your Epi? I just got mine a month ago and so far I'm replacing the stock pick ups for DiMarzio super distortion ones. Where else can I benefit to replace on my Les Paul? My tech offered to replace them free of charge as long as he gets to keep the old ones' date=' is this a good deal? I don't really need the old pick ups laying around like I have my Fender strat ones doing[/quote'] Pickups seem to be the order of things...although.... I actually like the stock Epiphone pickups in my LP standard. (I also have a LP custom...that got Burstbucker Pros with the Alcino V's.) A graphite or trem nut, straplocks, and maybe some locking tuners...(if the grovers don't do it for you)...and yes, that guitar will be awesome indeed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JefferySmith Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 I replaced the pickups on my Dot with Seymour Duncan P90's. I expected them to be more raggedy that they are, but that's fine since I really don't like Eric Clapton distortion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitmore Willy Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 C.C. A matter of taste and need. Personally, I see no reason to replace the tuners. That's just me. Locking tuners would be nice. Other than that I replaced everything except the pups. Might do that someday If I come across the right ones at the right time. Tp6 tailpiece...taste not essential Gotoh bridge Cts pots new caps new pickup support rings and pickguard (originals were cream) Switchcraft toggle switch and input jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biff Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 New pickups and '50s wiring for the sound I want, new knobs and pickguard, if needed - to make it feel like it's mine. It's like a ritual; clean it, oil the board, lube the nut, change strings, personalize it (usually going for a more historically correct style) so it doesn't feel like a stranger. I scrubbed the neck of my Dot with a Scotch-Brite pad for a softer feel on that chubby neck. I have a new Gotoh tailpiece waiting for the next string change on my LPC (I still wonder why I bought that even though it was cheap). Basically it's nice to do small jobs on the guitars every now and then. Thinking of Grover Vintage tuners with snot green tulip buttons for the Dot next, after I get the latest ideas for my CryBaby and the 5W tube amp done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheX Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 *sometimes* change the pups (if actually needed). Tuners rarely unless I want a different style (green keystone on an LP for example). On my Firebird I changed out all of the gold for new chrome and steinberger tuners. I don't have a set of rules I follow, it depends on the guitar. My 2 Elitists are bone stock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iansmitchell Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 What Mods Do You Do First when you got your Epi? I just got mine a month ago and so far I'm replacing the stock pick ups for DiMarzio super distortion ones. Where else can I benefit to replace on my Les Paul? My tech offered to replace them free of charge as long as he gets to keep the old ones' date=' is this a good deal? I don't really need the old pick ups laying around like I have my Fender strat ones doing[/quote'] I did, on my dot: New pickups (GFS, vintage 59 neck, mean 90 ridge) New pots and caps(recommend, for feel, control, and sound, I did push pull on both tones and the neck volume, for split, series/parallel(59) , and reverse phase(mean 90). Really flexible now) new nut (graphite, really holds tune, no binding, self lubricated) New bridge(roller, haven't broken a string at the bridge since) New tailpiece (Bigsby B-700, very nice for looks and feel) New knobs (black speed knobs, got tired of amber hats) New jack (3/4" deep, because the old one fell in too much.) The best ones, I'd say, are pickups, pots, caps, and nut. As for keeping the old ones, that'd, with current ebay prices, a $10 pickups swap job. Not bad at all. See if he'll do the pots and caps, too. Push-pulls and a jimmy page wiring, IMO belongs on EVERY les paul ever. You'll love it when he's done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWANG Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 sheraton left tuners in for about 15 years. just got new grover imperials. pups I left in for about three years. tried gibson custom lp humbucks. switched to 500T bridge. switched to Kent Armstrong humbuck size p90s a couple of years ago. they'll stay. straplocks. all new pots, switch, caps, jack and wiring. epi les paul studio. came with grovers. replaced nut with tusq. new pots caps switch jack and wire. Kent Armstrong Vintage 12 pole humbuck in bridge, humbuck size p90 in neck. straplocks. both guitars got a mild fret dressing from me. swapped out stock scratched up pickguard for gibson lp guard. I'd tell my tech.. you put my new pups in.. you can keep the old ones.. but I want new sprague or mallory caps and treble bleed caps, too. (those cost very very little.. like 10 cents for treble bleed cap.. and under a dollar for the tone caps..) AND if I got new pups I'd sure think seriously about using the four conductor wiring those dimarzios will probably have. series parallel on a push pull switch for both.. six sounds instead of three! very handy. after that. straplocks. and yer done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RotcanX Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 First thing to go is the strings... 10-46 is still too light for me, I prefer10-52 LTHB sets, either Dean Markley, D'Addario or even Ernie Ball. The bridge pickup pretty much needs to go into the garbage except on those guitars with the regular Alnico Classic such as the Dot or the Sheraton or any guitar with P-90s of course. I've also resigned myself to the fact that I'll never get the action to an acceptable buzz-free level unless I do a good fret levelling job on the guitar. So I pretty much take a file to the fretboard by the second or third day of ownership. While I'm at it I'll fashion a bone nut as well. The Grover tuners, while not quite as fine as the original American ones, nonetheless do the job adequately and there's no need to fiddle with them; however sometimes I'll swap them out for a different style: I've been very lucky on my Epis as regards the electronics; I've seldom if ever needed to replace pots or switches. However I really don't like the way Epiphone is wiring their guitars these days and that @#$%^&* connector HAS to go. so I'll re-wire an Epi just to ditch the connector as well as a few feet of extra wire that nobody needs. Stock example: Example of a modified Epi with all new pickups, pots and caps: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lpdeluxe Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 '95 Sheraton II: all new wiring from Stewart-McDonald (Alpha mini pots, new switch, stewmac wiring kit w .020 and .050 caps); Seymour Duncan "Silver" pickup set (SH-2 neck, SH-4 bridge); creme pickup rings and switch knob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iansmitchell Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 Quik-connectors seem like an amazing idea if pickup makers could adapt to them and make it a standard... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johncart Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 i took my epiphone lp 100 and made it a set neck...then i changed the headstock to look like a gibson(i like it better than the stock shape)..i have a epi lp custom that has all gibson electronics, pickups and a bone nut which sounds fuller and warmer than my stock epi plus top lp std... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 Never "modded" mine....as I like them, just fine, the way they are. But, I only have 3 Epiphones... 1966 Casino, Assmebled in USA Sheraton (Mini-Humbuckers) Korean Riviara, with Mini's too... And, 1 on the way! So far, anyway. The Japanese Epiphone '61 SG is still "in transit!" So, it remains to be seen, how that one will sound, play, etc. If I DO decide to mod any of them, it would be to put GFS or even real Gibson "Mini's" in the Riviera....and maybe, a Bigsby tailpiece? But, that's only because I might like to do that, and not out of any "need," really. CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thunderstruck507 Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 I work in the car electronics department at circuit city, we use connectors for stereo installs... and NO its NOT a good idea...the damn things often have shorts or loose connections, solder and tape is much much much better and more reliable I considered using slide together connectors once, but then realized "whats the point?"...if you can't take 30 seconds to desolder and solder the connections you don't need to be in the cavity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matiac Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Pickups: not sure of the exact year, but their Gibson T-Tops Bridge: Gotoh Tail: TP6, milled to fit Epiphone Knobs: Allparts Gold Tophats with silver inserts Pickguard: Allparts cut for Gibson, filed to fit Epiphone Switch replaced with Switchcraft Orange drops Frets dressed Oh yeah, gold screws in place of the steel ones in the pickups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carverman Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 What Mods Do You Do First when you got your Epi? I just got mine a month ago and so far I'm replacing the stock pick ups for DiMarzio super distortion ones. Where else can I benefit to replace on my Les Paul? I removed the neck p_up and installed a Sustaniac sustainer in the neck with the stock bridge (HOT) p_up and some push pull pots. It was a LOT of work wiring up the sustainer board to the pots, not to mention having to make a cavity for the battery. Unless you can do the complex wiring yourself, the cost to get a tech to do it would be very expensive. Nice long sustain (Gary Moore style), but if the 9V battery dies and you haven't got a replacement, you only have the bridge p_up left...which not convenient. The other problem is that you lose the neck p_up (57 CH) to install the sustainer driver which acts like a pickup, but it's basically a SC and hard to describe what it's comparable to. Definitely a limited use and for a trick pony guitar..and of course there is the problem of restoring the wiring back to original if you wanted to sell the guitar to someone who is not that interested in the sustainer feature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carverman Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 I work in the car electronics department at circuit city' date=' we use connectors for stereo installs... and NO its NOT a good idea...the damn things often have shorts or loose connections, solder and tape is much much much better and more reliable I considered using slide together connectors once, but then realized "whats the point?"...if you can't take 30 seconds to desolder and solder the connections you don't need to be in the cavity[/quote'] You have a point. Definitely for the normally 2 wire (signal +ground) case, it's not worth putting on connectors, BUT..if you are running 4 wire + phase reversal, then desoldering/resoldering is a lot more tricky and it's going to take more than 30 seconds to change a pickup, not to mention the chance of creating another problem in the cavity with too much heat. There are two schools of thought on connectors. Direct soldering will give you the least problems, but if you have to get into complex wiring (like 4 push-pulls or rotary switches), then connectorizing the p-ups for future replacement may not be that bad. I use the molex locking tab type and (so far) haven't experienced any problems with shorts or broken wires, but the connectors have to be installed properly with heat shrink tubing and that takes time initially. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfsboy Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 In My Dot SE .Replaced all hardware with Nickel Gotoh and fitted Grover deluxe tuners ,also in Nickel .I replaced the pickups with Tonerider Rocksongs and dressed all the frets to lower the action even lower .I didnt replace all the electrics as they worked well anyway .I cut and spliced the pickup wires to make life easier .All this has transormed the Dot into a tight professional instrument with no buzzes or rattles as well sounding very good .:- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebb Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Tail: TP6' date=' milled to fit Epiphone.[/quote'] Ah-Ha! Milled! My mild confusion has ended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roswell Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 I did' date=' on my dot: New pickups (GFS, vintage 59 neck, mean 90 ridge) New pots and caps(recommend, for feel, control, and sound, I did push pull on both tones and the neck volume, for split, series/parallel(59) , and reverse phase(mean 90). Really flexible now) new nut (graphite, really holds tune, no binding, self lubricated) New bridge(roller, haven't broken a string at the bridge since) New tailpiece (Bigsby B-700, very nice for looks and feel) New knobs (black speed knobs, got tired of amber hats) New jack (3/4" deep, because the old one fell in too much.) The best ones, I'd say, are pickups, pots, caps, and nut. As for keeping the old ones, that'd, with current ebay prices, a $10 pickups swap job. Not bad at all. See if he'll do the pots and caps, too. Push-pulls and a jimmy page wiring, IMO belongs on EVERY les paul ever. You'll love it when he's done.[/quote']How much did those Dot mods run you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodeMonk Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 I work in the car electronics department at circuit city' date=' we use connectors for stereo installs... and NO its NOT a good idea...the damn things often have shorts or loose connections, solder and tape is much much much better and more reliable I considered using slide together connectors once, but then realized "whats the point?"...if you can't take 30 seconds to desolder and solder the connections you don't need to be in the cavity[/quote'] I've been working in electronics (on my own and for industry) and NO, those bad. Using any style connector (I've seen Molex with some corrosion right from the factory on the pins already) I woild not recccomend, but...If you do insist on using connectors, use tight fitting gold plated pins. and crimp AND solder the wires to the pins. Sorry off topic.... Anyway, my mods: Push/Pull pot on tone for series/parallel, GFS FAT PAT pickups (Zebra), toggle switch, jack, Knob (gold speed knobs), and my current pride and joy mod: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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